Vending machines



United States Patent VENDING MACHINES Edward A. Linker, Bellmore, N.Y., assignor to Lehigh Inc., Easton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 25, 1956, Serial No. 618,251 7 Claims. (Cl. 40-130 This invention relates to vending machines and is particularly concerned with the indicating and display aspects thereof.

Heretofore little has been done by way of utilizing the upper front areas of vending machines, either to give the machines themselves some attractive appearance to provide attractive displays of the products being vended in the machine, or to assist the purchaser in selecting the particular product desired out of a variety available in the machine. Where any effort has been made to use the mirror or other front of the machine for any display indicative of the products being vended, it has principally been a random effort in no way correlated with the positions of the products in the machine. done has been more attributable to persistence of the salesman of one of the particular brands being vended to obtain a random showing of his product rather than to any construction and design of the machine for such purpose. Generally speaking, also, such machines have not heretofore been so constructed as to create a truly pleasing and lasting impression upon customer or prospective customers.

The instant invention changes all this and revises merchandising through vending machines so that the machines themselves and the manner in which theypresent the products have a sales appeal of their own. Thus it is one object of the invention to construct vending machines to have a general overall pleasing and attractive appearance.

Another object is to provide for the display of facsimiles of the packages of products available in vending machines in an attractive and appealing manner so that such presentation has a sales appeal in and of itself.

Besides providing for the mounting and presentation of actual samples or facsimiles of the goods being vended in a manner visible and attractive to customers, the construction of the invention includes indicating means connecting up or correlating the showings of such samples directly to the vending stations for those particular goods.

Still another object is, accordingly, to provide attractive indicating or correlating means to direct the customer unerringly from the samples or facsimiles of the goods displayed to the dispensing station therefor.

Part of the attractiveness of the display of the invention is provided by suitable lighting and diffusing features which flood the whole display and at the same time light up the indicating means and cause them to stand out.

A further object of the invention then is to provide attractive soft illumination for the whole of the display and to illuminate the indicating means so that they will stand out effectively.

Still further and more detailed objects of the invention will in part be pointed out and in part be obvious as the description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

' Fig. 1 is a-fragmentary "perspective 'view of so much What has been 2,924,035 Patented Feb. 9, 1960 'ice of a vending machine, including part of the front and the door thereof as is needed to illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 22 of Fig. l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows: and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a part of the back wall of the door as viewed from line 44 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the accompanying drawing and in the description to follow the invention is shown and described as embodied in a machine for the vending of cigarette type packages, but it is of course to be understood that it is not so limited. The structure features of the invention are equally applicable to machines designed for the vending of a variety of packaged commodities. The showing and description of the particular embodiment are thus clearly for illustrative and not for limiting purposes.

Most of the features of the invention here being considered are incorporated in the front door of a vending machine. The door as here shown is of the type that is removed by swinging it forward from the top and then lifting it up. The invention is not limited-in its applicability to doors so mounted but may be embodied in doors which are applied, opened and closed in other manners as will be apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

The door here under consideration is carried by the main housing of the machine, only a small part of which is shown in the accompanying drawing since most of such housing plays no particular part in the invention. The door overlies the chassis of the machine which incorporates the storage and feeding aspects of the vending mechanism. Again, only a small part of this need be shown and this is done merely by the showing of the upright member 1 and portions of magazines as illustrated at 2 in Fig. 3. The door is located in front of these magazine parts and is of a double walled construction having a spaced apart rear wall member 3 and a front wall member 4. The wall member 3 is preferably made of sheet metal and the wall member 4 is preferably made of glass. These are carried by suitable shell 5, the glass wall 4 being seated in a suitable bordering channel, as shown at 6 in Fig. 2.

As will be apparent from the showing, the front and back walls 3 and 4 are spaced apart a sufficient distance to enable full scale facsimiles of the particular cigarette packages being vended to be supported between them. This is done by applying clips 7 at appropriate positions on the front face 8 of the back wall 3. These clips can be of any desired type to hold the package, but the presently preferred form as here shown has an intermediate portion 9 lying flat against and welded to the surface 8, an inwardly extending ledge portion .10 at the bottom thereof and an inwardly extending forked portion 11 extending upwardly and inwardly from the top of the portion 9, and at a slight incline with respect to the surface 8. Thus, a package as illustrated at 12 can be carried by the clip 11 with its bottom seating on the shelf 10 and the forked end received beneath the cover of the package. If desired, however, the package may be provided with suitable means on its back surface engaged with the slot 13 in the forked end 11. In either case the package is supported leaned outwardly from the wall 8 which serves to accentuate it and add to its attractiveness.

Reverting to Fig. 1, it will be seen that a plurality of packages 12 located in desired position is here applied to the back wall 3 to be visible through the glass front 4. The number and arrangement of the packages shown is suitable for this particular machine and the manner in which it is loaded with packages of the various brands of cigarettes. It is, of course, to be understood that this pattern may be varied and the number of packages displayed may be increased or decreased as desired for the particular situation. The important thing is that the packages on display be correlated with the dispensing plunger or other actuating device for those particular cigarettes. The manner in which that correlation is carried out will now be described.

Beneath eachof the packages of cigarettes on display, as at ;12, and preferably centered with respect thereto, is a vertical strip of material 14, preferably of Lucite, or of some other light transmissive transparent or translucent material. These strips are preferably formed of a color contrasting tothe colors of the surrounding area, such as the color imparted to the surface 8. Also, they are narrow butare secured to and extend out a substantial distance therefrom. The tops 15 of the strips 14 extend close enough to the bottom of the packages 12 that, with the tilt of those packages, the strips appear, when the door is viewed from in front, to be coming right out from the bottom of the package. The strips extend down to a position below the wall 3 and also below the upper end of a shield member 16 to terminate in lower ends 17.

The shield member 16 is preferably a relatively thin metal strip whose lower end 18 is suitably secured to the front of the door housing. That securing is here shown as being effected by the seat of the lowerend of the shield in the channel members 6 which mount the glass front 4 on the housing. The shield member 16 extends throughout the width-of the front glass 4 and extends upwardly at an incline away from the inner surface of that glass. It terminates adjacent the front faces of the light transmissive strips 14a short distance above their bottom ends 17. The upper edge 19 of the shield must be a short distance below the bottom end 20 of the back wall .3, so that the tax stamps on the bottom packs of cigarettes .in the magazines 2 will be visible from the front of the machine, as required by the laws of the various States.

The shield 16 is of opaque material and carries the display labels 21 of the particular cigarettes in alignment with the magazines carrying those cigarettes. Likewise, the particular display labels are in line with, though not necessarilycentered with respect to, the appropriate indicator strips 14. Hence, a sample pack 12 at one end of the strip 14 is correleated with its label 21 by means of the strip 14 extending therebetween. The labels 21 are, in turn, centered with respect to the plungers, or other actuating means, 22 below them, which plungers are used by the purchaser for obtaining the desired cigarettes once the proper coins have been inserted in the coin slot 23.

It will accordingly be seen that there is a definite correlation and direction between the sample or facsimile display at 12 and the plunger which the user has to actuate in order to get the cigarettes he wants. The correlation is clear and unmistakable. It practically eliminates the annoying errors that are commonly made in operating prior art machines where the failure to line up the label 21 of the desired cigarette with the correct plunger 22 results in the purchaser getting different cigarettes from those desired.

The correlation and display aspects of the invention are enhanced by two other factors, one of which is the treatment accorded each glass front 4 and the other of which is the illumination provided by the light source 25 therebelow. Considering first the treatment of the glass 4, it will be seen from the Fig. 2 showing that a substantial proportion of the glass front 4 is rendered translucent. This as indicated by the roughened surface finish indicated at 26 in Fig. 2. Such translucency may be achieved in any suitable manner illustrative of which are sand blasting and silk screening. What is desired is to impart to a portion of the area of the glass the appearance which is normally referred to as frosted.

Certain areas on the back surface of the glass .4, however, are shielded from the sand blasting or other treatment so as to leave the glass in those areas clear and transparent. As here illustrated, a substantially large clear area is provided at 27 for a display of the type of goods being vended by the machine to be seen therethrough. The display here, merely for illustrative purposes, is made up of a wire form 28 secured to the back wall 3 and carrying enlarged representations 29 of cigarettes. Other clear areas, such as 30, encompass and surround the sample packages 12 carried by the back wall 3. Thus the stage is set for a fully effectivedisplay of the goods offered for sale. This display is completed by the illumination from the light source 25.

As here shown, the light 25 is in the form ofa fluorescent or luminescent tube which extends all the way across beneath the glass front 4. It is secured to a portion of the chassis 1 by suitable brackets 31. Hence the lamp 25 and its connections remain with the chassis and are in no way "disturbed by the removal of the door. Moreover, though the light source is here shown as of one particular type, it is of course to be understood that any type of light source providing the desired illumination can be employed.

Light from the source 25 is shielded against coining directly outwardly by the shield member 16 and is directed upwardly thereby. Part of it passes up through the open spaces 32 between the strips 14 and another part goes into the Lucite strips and is transmitted up through the Lucite. The strips 14 thus gives off light all along their lengths. This combined propagation of the light results in the illumination of the whole area in back of the glass plate 4 with a soft light, but one of sufficient intensity, where needed, to make the elements of the display stand out. i In fact, with a proper coloring of the front surface 8 of the wall 3 one gets the impression that it is that surface rather than the back surface of the glass 4 which has the stippled or sand blasted appearance.

Though certain portions of the Lucite strips I l-lie behind the frosted glass they nevertheless, particularly when given a color contrasting to that of the surface 8, stand out and are clearly and distinctly visible through the frosted areas. In addition, of course, they stand out clearly in'the portions of them behind unfrosted sections of the glass.

It is finally to be noted that the frosting on the glass is terminated at a line 33 spaced upwardly above the upper end 19 of the shield 16. This provides for lighting up the display labels 21 on that shield and rendering the tax stamps visible in the openings 34 extending back to the magazines.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the indicating and display aspects of the invention will aid materially in directing purchasers to the brand of cigarettes they want to obtain from a vending machine, as well as imparting a pleasing appearance to the whole subject, going beyond anything heretofore devised. Most machines provide for a greater number of magazines than the number of sample packs that can be displayed through the front wall 4. There will accordingly be more labels on the shield 16 than there are packs displayed at 12. This is of little consequence, for the labels between the strips 14 will be delineated thereby and the purchaser will be aided in a proper selection, the same as if his particular brand was displayed at 12 and correlated by an illuminated strip. The important thing is that certain of the brands are clearly displayed and delineated. The pattern of the brands displayed can be varied from machine to machine so that what is not shown in one will be shown in the next.

Though the invention has been illustrated and described in the foregoing as embodied in a particular arrangement, and by particular structural aspects ofthe elements, it is of course to be understood that such showings are for illustrative and not limiting purposes. Speaking more generally, since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodi ments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In vending machine construction, a chassis and an indicating and display front, said front including a shell being formed with spaced apart back and front Walls, said front wall being formed with translucent portions and transparent portions, said back wall having means secured on the inner face thereof for supporting articles to be displayed through said transparent portions, and indicating means between said back and front walls correlated with said display means, said indicating means being formed of thin strips of light transmissive material commencing adjacent said supporting means and extending away therefrom and illuminating means carried by said chassis and positioned to illuminate the space between said front and back walls.

2. Vending machine construction as in claim 1 and including, said indicating means extending from said supporting means in the direction of said illuminating means and having their free ends in opposed position with respect to said illuminating means.

3. Vending machine construction as in claim 1 and including, said indicating means being secured to said back Wall, extending from said supporting means in the direction of said illuminating means, overlying both transparent and translucent portions of said front wall, and having their free ends in opposed position with respect to said illuminating means.

4. In vending machine construction, a housing, a door forming the upper front portion of said housing, said door including a shell formed with spaced apart back and front walls, said front wall being formed with translucent and transparent portions and said back wall having package carrying supports secured thereto on the front face thereof and having indicating elements secured to said front face, said indicating elements being in the form of thin strips of material extending from adjacent said supports toward the lower edge of said back wall, said shell terminating at the bottom of said door and a light source carried by said housing below the lower end of said back wall, said light source being positioned to illuminate the space between said back'and front walls.

5. In vending machine construction, a housing, a door forming the upper front portion of said housing, said door including a shell formed with spaced apart back and front walls, said front wall being formed of glass with translucent and transparent portions and said back wall having package carrying supports secured thereto on the front face thereof in alignment with said transparent portions of said front wall and having indicating elements secured to said front face, said indicating elements being in the form of thin strips of light transmissive material of a color contrasting with the color of said front face and extending from adjacent said supports toward the lower edge of said back wall, said shell terminating at the bottom of said door and a light source carried by said housing below the lower end of said back wall, said light source being positioned to illuminate the space between said back and front walls.

6. In vending machine construction, means for displaying facsimiles of the various commodities to be vended by said machine at substantially the eye level of the customers for such commodities, said displays being variously spaced from one another, means for storing a plurality of each of said commodities ready for vending, spaced actuating means operable by the purchaser for discharging the desired commodity and means spaced a substantial distance below said facsimiles for displaying labels of said various commodities, said labels being in overlying relation with respect to said actuating means and indicator strips extending between said facsimiles and said labels.

7. In vending machine construction, means at substantially normal eye level for displaying facsimiles of the various commodities to be vended by said machine, said displays being variously spaced with respect to one another, means for storing a plurality of each of said commodities ready for vending, spaced actuating means positioned well below said facsimile displays and operable by the purchaser at substantially hand level for discharging the desired commodity and means in overlying relationship with respect to said actuating means for displaying labels of the various commodities in downwardly spaced relation with respect to said facsimiles and strips of material of contrasting appearance as against adjacent parts of said machine extending between said facsimiles and said labels to serve as indicators.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,994,342 Fry Mar. 12, 1935 2,288,759 Welton July 7, 1942 2,290,278 Failla July 21, 1942 2,380,093 Wilder July 10, 1945 2,507,303 Gustafson et a1. May 9, 1950 2,640,144 Levy May 26, 1953 

